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Pearl of the Ocean
Category: Restaurants Indian Indian
736 Water StSanta Cruz, CA 95060
(831) 457-2350
Announcement
Take that special someone out for the night. Make your reservations for Valentines Day now and get 20 % any wine bottle until Feb 14th
Announced yesterday- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11 am - 2:30 pm
Mon-Thu, Sun 5 pm - 9 pm
Fri-Sat 5 pm - 9:30 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
145 reviews for Pearl of the Ocean
Review Highlights
"For a Sri Lankan far away from home this place was amazing."
(in 36 reviews)
"Eggplant moju, and curried mango were my favs for sure."
(in 12 reviews)
"even the paan came with vegan butter for dipping."
(in 30 reviews)
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145 reviews in English
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Review from Susan v.
Aptos, CA
10/9/2011
When a friend says do you want to go out for dinner, I inevitably say, if we can go to Pearl! I always get the 3 main dishes. The coconut leek and the eggplant are my favorites. They go really well with the spicy potatoes (which are pretty spicy!). The owner is a really sweet lady who, if she's your waitress will tell which of the 3 or 4 main dishes you should get. She'll make sure you get something with coconut, something sweet and something spicy so you get a little bit of every taste - and it really is amazing how the flavors compliment each other. I've also shared a few things with a friend and loved all of the appetizers.
I am vegan and this place is very vegan friendly. They will even give you vegan "ghee" for your pan. Everyone I bring here, including omnivores love it. -
Review from Robert S.
Montauk, NY
11/30/2011
Pretty darn good! I liked that the spicing wasn't timid. And, actually, was a good value. Disagree with those who found it expensive.
We all enjoyed the meal and the service. -
Review from Timothy C.
Washington, DC
11/14/2011 Seated via OpenTable
My wife LOVES Indian food, and so for our date night I thought we could try Pearl of the Ocean's Sri Lankan food. My wife's comment? "This IS the pearl of the ocean!"
We had a 5:30 reservation and we arrived right on time and only two of the maybe 12 tables were full, but before six there were maybe 25 people in the small room plus a couple of take out orders going in and out.
We were maybe 35% confused by the menu. Three or four well-placed parenthesis would have helped tremendously to those of us who don't speak Sri Lankan. How are we supposed to know what dhal is? We were also disappointed when our server told us about the okra special, we ordered it, and then we were told they were out of it. As Led Zep said, "Communication Breakdown!"
I ordered the lamb curry entree which comes with two sides of my choice (garbanzo curry, almond mango) as well as dhal (which turned out to be an orange colored [not orange flavored] lentil curry), ginger rice, chutney, and some kind of garbanzo-based, fan shaped, thin wafer cracker that I've seen accompany Indian food before. My wife ordered the three-mushroom entree with the spicy potatoes and coconut leek.
I liked the variety most of all. Even with the three curry dishes, I was able to mix up the flavors and keep my taste buds gunning for more. The lamb was well-cooked and not chewy, which is always my fear when ordering lamb. Of the four side dishes we ordered, the top two were clearly the spicy potatoes and the coconut leek. The potatoes were soft and spicy enough that we were getting upset at the waitresses for not refilling our water glasses fast enough.
The only thing I was disappointed in was the almond mango - it just didn't fit with what I ordered and I basically saved it for dessert. It was way to sweet to fit in with the other savory dishes.
Great find, POTO, and we'll return if we can! -
Review from Leticia H.
San Jose, CA
1/12/2012
This place is sooooo delicious!!!! I am mostly vegetarian (seafood is the exception) and am married to a serious meat eater. So finding places to go out to eat together can be rather disappointing or a compromise but this place is never a compromise.
The people here are really nice, the food is very tasty, and the place is clean with plenty of parking. I have taken friends there on many occasions and have only gotten positive feedback. The last time I went, I couldn't decide between brown or jasmine rice so our server offered to do half of each. -
Review from Kyle H.
Sunnyvale, CA
12/24/2011
You wouldn't expect much of this tiny place just passing by - actually you might not even notice it. But it's well worth seeking it out and giving it a shot. I had never had Sri Lankan food, and if this is what it's like I'm hooked! I expected it to be very similar to Indian food. Well there are some similarities, but the tastes at Pearl of the Ocean were unique.
The fish cutlet appetizer was amazing, as was the Sri Lankan milk tea. The baby jack fruit dish was good too - the texture and taste of the fruit was different, but good. I expected the lamb curry to be similar to an Indian lamb curry, but it wasn't. It had its own distinct taste. We also ordered the chicken stew and the Sri Lankan noodles. The nodles came with a different bowl of stewed chicken, and it was divine! Each entree came with a choice of two sides. I can't remember every side we ordered, but we did get the sambal, garbanzo beans and kale. They were nice compliments to the food.
It's a small place, and there was only one waitress, and as far as I could tell, only one Sri Lankan lady manning the kitchen. They were extremely nice and welcoming. It felt like you could be in someone's home, eating home-cooked food! I loved it, and hopefully I'll be back. I don't go to Santa Cruz often, but I know where I'll be eating the next time I do! -
Review from brian k.
Santa Cruz, CA
10/30/2011
Not awesome-
Incredibly overpriced and their food is not that good. Their margins must be huge, they serve cheap food like rice and kale then charge 8 dollars (not an exact figure). the best part of this restaurant is the fact they are next to a Frozen yogurt place where you can wash your mouth out with some cool refreshing desert. -
Review from Dana F.
Santa Cruz, CA
8/31/2011
Definitely, definitely well worth it.
I went here to catch up with an old friend over dinner. The server, who was a doll of a person, welcomed us with ample hospitality and joined in making the evening absolutely wonderful...She let us order off of the lunch menu because we weren't that hungry.
Chai--made in house daily!
Kale curry!
Beautiful patio seating! -
Review from Jeffrey P.
San Carlos, CA
11/13/2011
I really liked this place. The food was great. I thought the spring roll was the best I had ever had. The paan bread with garlic butter was beyond belief perfect. What really struck me though, was the kind attention of the owner, a very sweet lady named Ioma. She explained how joyful cooking and feeding others made her feel. You could sense at once that her main motivation was not money but serving others with Love.
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Review from Peggy B.
Santa Cruz, CA
8/6/2011
We've seen this restaurant for awhile since it's next to our favorite yogurt place, Top-a-lot. Lately we've been trying to find more dog-friendly eateries, and we were delighted to learn that our dog was welcome to join us at the picnic bench-style outdoor tables.
I was impressed with the variety of dishes, unique produce, organic produce. preparation. I had a steelhead trout dish, which was delicious. My husband had the Devil Chicken. Ratchet down your "spicy" preference here; "Medium" was seriously hot! Naan was tender and the garlic ghee super fresh. Service was engaging and helpful. For the quality of the food, a terrific value. We will definitely return! -
Review from John G.
Mountain View, CA
7/31/2011
To all reviews about the great food, I am going to add that staff was very helpful. I forgot my debit card at the table and as I live in the Bay Area, it was hard for me to go back and pick it up. The owner kindly sent me the card by mail, and she said no to any form of compensation.
WOW experience. -
Review from Vegan G.
Aptos, CA
9/24/2011
Delicious food! Will return.
-1 star for being slightly pricy. -
Review from Madison O.
Santa Cruz, CA
12/1/2011
The food is absolutely amazing, the drinks are made as passionately as the food. Very sweet owner. DO NOT BUY THE KGB DEAL she did not authorize this and won't accept it. Get your money back ASAP.
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Review from Insiya N.
Mountain View, CA
9/8/2011
Visited this restaurant after checking the ratings on yelp. I think the restaurant well deserves the rating. The restaurant was full when we got there. We didn't have a reservation and didn't want to wait to sit inside. We chose to seat ourselves outside.
The restaurant serves Sri Lankan food. I think this is the only Sri Lankan restaurant in this area that serves meat as well. The rest are mostly Vegan. We started our meal with the roti which comes with some Sambal and Garlic butter.YUM!!!! For the entree you can pick any one dish and it is served with a choice or ginger or brown rice, lentils, pickle, poppadums and you can pick any 2 accompanying dish. We picked the Chicken Tikka Masala plate with some spicy potato and Aubergine and we also tried the Lamb Curry. Both dishes were very tasty and filling. The portion size was good for 1 person. Dont get overwhelmed with the amount of dishes they mention that will be served with the entree. The portion is adequate for one.
I also ordered the falooda. It was tasty but did not meet my expectations. I have had better falooda back home and thus I guess my expectations were higher.
The seating inside definitely provides a better ambiance that what you would get if you sat out. The restaurant is small and thus if you plan to visit in larger groups ( even 6 would be large for the size of the restaurant) I recommend making a reservation. -
Review from Lotus J.
Santa Cruz, CA
7/28/2011
EXCELLENT!
I went in for lunch after reading a few yelp reviews and found this restaurant to be a nice surprise. It's funny, I drive by it all the time and never noticed it before. Anyway, I had the curried cauliflower and cashews and the coconut kale. OMG DELICIOUS!
The server, it turned out, was also the owner... a sweatheart of a woman. We had a nice conversation about the food and how I haven't had Sri Lanken cuisine in a while. I like that everything at this place is organic and locally grown whenever possible. The menu is mostly vegan, which doesn't make much difference to me, but it's nice to know when I'm looking for a place to eat with my vegan friends.
Make sure to order the chai! It's served with slices of fresh ginger, a perfect balance of sweet and spicy.
The decor is simple, but nice and the prices are a little on the high side, but fair for what your getting. I'll definitely be back. -
Review from Heidy S.
Santa Cruz, CA
Updated - 5/21/2011
amazing dishes. EVERYTHING was delectable.
Only mild caution was the spicy potato. tasty but very spicy.
service was also friendly and thoughtful.
I don't know why there are 2 top notch Sri Lankan restaurants in Santa Cruz when there doesn't appear to be a large community of Sri Lankans.
But in case anyone cares. Pearl of the Ocean is slightly better than Malabar. I love both, but Pearl wins my vote for best taste. Although Malabar has better ambiance.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/3/2010
amazing dishes. EVERYTHING was delectable.
Only mild caution was the spicy potato. tasty but very… Read more »
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Review from alli g.
Soquel, CA
9/23/2011
I am so happy I decided to try this place. It will definately become a regular dining place when I want to go out to someplace a little nicer than usual.
The food was amazing. As a vegetarian Ive never been so satisfied and full with food that was also so clean and healthful tasting. even more amazing---The cook goes to the farmers market for all fresh items regularly, too. So its supports LOCAL farmers, amzingly DELICIOUS and HEALTHY for your body. what more could you ask for. -
Review from Denise E.
Santa Cruz, CA
4/29/2011
I kept hearing about Pearl of the Ocean and was happy to visit a few weeks ago. My dad came into town unexpectedly and we decided to meet there on a Saturday evening. I had no idea reservations were encouraged but this isn't a very big place. They managed to find us a small table in the corner. It was packed!
The decor is fairly plain (linoleum floors, rickety tables) but the food is delicious. The portions seemed somewhat small for the cost, but it might be because we decided to share the main dish that comes with 2, 3, or 4 choices. It would have been plenty for one person. If the main dish doesn't fill you up, the huge serving of warm paan most definitely will. (I'm used to naan, this paan seemed incredibly dense and heavy but I think that's the point.) Everything on our sampler platter was distinctly colorful, full of unique flavors and delicious. They use local and organic ingredients as much as they can (yay!). Some dishes were sold out or not available. Lots of veggie and vegan items with meat options as well.
The place was busy and pretty loud, but that's always a good sign. It did take quite a while to get our food but if that means its fresh, it's fine by me! Overall, I really enjoyed the choices on the sampler platter, the tea and the service. Maybe because of some of the previous reviews, the servers came around constantly to make sure we had enough water and everything was ok. I'll be back again! -
Review from Karma R.
Berkeley, CA
10/19/2011
We came in on a busy night, and I noticed 12 tables, one chef, two servers (both friendly and nice). After about 10mins we ordered, with a gotu kola soup appetizer. We were hungry, but we talked and i double checked a ways in if our soup had been put in. Our soup arrived at 8pm (we arrived at 7pm). I ordered the Fish with Sri Lankan special sauce, which turned out to be a creamy mass over salmon, which completely took over any flavor ot that fish. The fan shaped crisp bread tasted stale, the cabbage side was cold (there were about 4 sides with this dish) and the mango side was, different, not to my taste, a little to sweet against an onion/apple combination. All in all unpleasant. Thank goodness my company was lovely. I ate about 10 bites and left the rest!
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Review from Sheila G.
Santa Clara, CA
6/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
It was my first time trying Sri Lankan food and it was rather tasty albeit very similar to Indian food. We went on a Sunday evening and there was no wait. My husband had the Paan which he said was ok - nothing special. We also had the spicy sambal, spiced potatoes and a baby jackfruit dish. It was all tasty but SPICY. I don't mean "oh that's gotta nice kick" spice. I mean "damn this burns and I can't really speak" spicy. So you've be warned. Ask them to tone down the spicy. We assumed medium spicy was the same everywhere. Not so.
I had a cardamom black tea that was very good.
Also someone commented on the bathroom and that is true - very small and dirty.
I'd recommend trying this place so long as you can handle spicy food and don't need to use the restroom. Also, our waitress was super nice. -
Review from Patrick S.
Denver, CO
10/1/2011
Great food, hours and service...Treated ourselfveson a work trip and loved it!
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Review from Jennifer G.
Santa Cruz, CA
4/24/2011
We arrived with a reservation a bit early just as a table was being cleared so we were seated quickly. The menu's were also brought quickly and as soon as our server came to the table he asked if we had been there before.
We ordered the paan which was good but the butter sauce was not very garlicky. The fried vegetable egg rolls were very unique and tasty.
Next were our main courses which were ordered "medium spicy" which were were sad to say was not medium since I order "spicy" at most Thai restaurants and this was so spicy we missed out on many of the flavors of the dishes.
To my next dismay the eggplant was not being made due to lack of eggplants (strange I saw them at all the grocery stores) and I really wanted to try that as per the reviews here this was a huge favorite.
The lamb was very good, but again too spicy to really taste all of the flavors. The effort really was there to make wonderful food - I can see that. The portions were small and again not a huge complaint since much preparation must go in to making these dishes but again I am no "spice wuss" and we missed out on much of the true flavors due to the heat of the dishes.
Sad to say that this is not a place that we will likely crave and return to regularly. I am glad that there are others here who are. -
Review from Rachel A.
San Jose, CA
5/30/2011
I would give pearl of the ocean a Five, but the there were three downfalls:
the music and the inside needs some new decore and 4.50$ for a piece of naan?! The food was great, especially if you are a vegatarian. -
Review from Chris E.
Phoenix, AZ
4/20/2011 5 photos
I Agree With Romantic, Casual and Intimate - and all the Stars for Very Good Food
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Thought globally, ingredients bought locally, omnivore to vegan. A large, fluffy Paan and appetizer or two could make a meal. Local dining awards paper a corner of the dining room. -
Review from Carolyn B.
Santa Cruz, CA
5/28/2011
We had dinner for the first time here tonight,and our friends had recommended this place. The appetizer we had was the salad rolls and it was made of the freshest organic vegetables which was very delicious and I had the chicken curry(one of my all time favourite dishes)and the flavours in that certainly didn't disappoint. The entree came with two side dishes and I had the kale and coconut and the cashew and coconut. Both dishes were very delicious.
The one thing that I was told about was the service was a bit slow. We walked right in(without a reservation:highly recommended) and they seated us right away. We really didn't wait very long to get our appetizer;but our main course was taken a bit longer than expected,so they offered us their freshly baked Paan(Griddle baked bread)which was simply delicious as well. Over all our experience was a positive one and they will have me as a repeat customer. -
Review from Marc B.
Anchorage, AK
Not crowded at all for lunch. Outside seating (just a table or two or three).
EPIC food. Bottomless cup of tea makes it very enjoyable to linger. -
Review from Nancy T.
San Jose, CA
1/11/2011
I had lunch here the other day with some friends and it was pretty darn good! Everyone enjoyed what they ordered. I had the Eggplant Moju along with Broccoli and Tofu. Both were yummy. I ordered the Broccoli and Tofu hot, and it was the perfect level of spiciness for me.
My husband had the Curried Chicken and Kale with Coconut. The combo was perfect because the mild flavored kale dish offset the salty chicken dish nicely. The chicken was just a tad bit too salty for me, but it was still good....very deep, rich flavors. My husband enjoyed his belli juice too (the name is so cute you just have to try it).
One thing that I really appreciated (and was pleasantly surprised by) was the lovely presentation of the dishes. The vegetables looked fresh and had vibrant colors. The only suggestions I have would be to not seat guests until the table is cleaned and set up, decrease the incense aroma (my allergies were sensitive), and to serve and clear the table without reaching over customers or having them assist in passing plates. These are just minor suggestions that would have added more enjoyment to my already enjoyable lunch experience. Overall, it was a nice restaurant with beautifully delicious food. -
Review from John I.
Watsonville, CA
10/8/2010
Does it make you an evil person when everyone else seem to love a place, but you have a bad experience there?
We went here for dinner this week. The food was okay (more on it later, maybe two or three stars) but the major sin that knocks my star ranking down a notch or two was an unsubtle switcheroo involving the wine -- we ordered one of the more pricey (though still relatively inexpensive at $32) bottles on the list, and it arrived (1) pre-opened in the kitchen, (2) with BOTH the front and back labels stained by previous pours, and (3) distinctly re-filled with 2-buck chuck. Not cool. We watched sadly as they pulled the same stunt on another table, where the patrons were young college students clearly out on a special date. One of the people at our table then spontaneously dipped her fingers into the butter sauce and put a big handprint on our bottle's label so that they couldn't continue the ruse, at least with that container...
Service was very, very friendly but at the same time unskillful. There were never more then four active tables when we were there, and at least four people servicing them, so being over-busy wasn't the issue. Water served only half-way through a (spicy, for some) meal, and then water glasses left empty for long periods. Every course brought before the previous was finished, and certainly before it was cleared. Repeated awkward questions about how everything tasted...
Paan (flatbread) appetizer was okay; Naan by another name. Vegetarian spring rolls were also okay, but you can do as well in the cooler aisle at Trader Joes. Chicken and Lamb curries were decent, but not special in any way. I've never been to Sri Lanka, but I've had hundreds of curries on four continents and these were some of the least interesting.
I'm left really scratching my head about why this place has done so well in the Yelp rankings, as our experience certainly bucked the trend. -
Review from j h.
Santa Cruz, CA
9/14/2011
My new fav in Santa Cruz. Spicy, fresh eats that remind me of a combination of Thai and Indian food (which sounds weird but is great). Spicy here is quite spicy.
Had the lamb curry which was great, very flavorful (and it was HOT). Both desserts were really yummy... but my favorite was how much I enjoyed the cauliflower, which I consider to be a pretty bland vegetable. With Sri Lankan spices, the lowly cauli is a flavor explosion! -
Review from Ash A.
Mountain View, CA
5/29/2011
Huge mistake to have gone there.
1) There was just one server for all of 12 or so tables.
2) Our appetizer was served before we got any napkins, silverware, water or plates
3) Finally they gave us WET plates while our appetizer had gone cold completely
4) The toilet was very dirty with a door that would barely close and no napkins, no dryer
We should have just left based on the above points, but we decided to give this place a shot due to all the positive reviews.
This seems like one of those wannabe fine-dining places that does not know zilch about fine dining. Here is why:
I went there with my wife and 6 month old. Our son is a happy baby - but once in a while he needs attention. While at this restaurant, our son was whimpering slightly - mostly because we were seated very close to the door and a few other customers waiting for their to-go order had kept the door open while standing right next to our table - on a very chilly evening. We were just about to attend to our son when the server came and WARNED us "If your baby continues to cry, I am going to have to ask you to step out". Are you freaking kidding me??
First the server didn't seem to understand what a crying baby sounds like. Second all guests around us really liked our son - in fact two people at two separate table commented that our son was really cute and they were talking to him. Third, our son was the quietest of all their other "guests" and their loud conversations.
We were so disgusted that we asked to cancel our order, paid for the appetizer and left. From the expression of guests at two tables next to ours, it appeared that they did not approve of the server warning us - because our baby was not even crying yet!
Never ever going to this place. It is anyways overpriced for what it offers. -
Review from Erica S.
Santa Cruz, CA
11/27/2011
I had heard of Pearl of the Ocean from other people, mostly that they served healthy Sri Lankan food, but I had never gone there before. Then, I got a coupon from Got Daily Deals, which has been a good way for us to try new and different restaurants from what we might normally go to.
The restaurant itself is very beautiful, with the two main walls being very different from each other, one being bright yellow with a large painting of some beautiful poppies on it that felt invigorating, and the other being a mild sage color with a white Buddha on it that felt very calming. We were seated at a table with a small vase of fresh flowers on it and given menus by a co-owner we found out, who said that he shopped at the farmer's market for local, organic vegetables. We were then greeted by a super friendly, very smiling, helpful server, who knew the menu well and was able to recommend excellent side dishes to our entrees. I ordered the Broccoli Tofu with Tempe spiced medium to spicy, with sides of kale and coconut, and cashew and cauliflower for $15. My husband ordered the Fish Plate, which was salmon, with sides of mixed vegetable curry and mango almond for $17. We both had ginger rice, dhal, and a papadam.
Good stuff first. Once our food appeared, it was absolutely heavenly. My food was well-spiced in the medium to spicy range as requested. The spices were complex, balanced, and had good depth. The side dishes were wonderful, with the cashew and cauliflower being the big winner. Everything was yummy and fresh, and there was plenty of it. My husband's fish was fresh, cooked properly, and there was a nice portion of it. The food was really, really awesome, and besides having color, texture, and taste, it just felt good and deeply warming.
Not so good stuff. They were out of the Sri Lankan beer they carried, so we ordered 2 Stella Artois, which was fine. However, the beer was not that cold, and the glasses were not chilled. The beer should absolutely be cold and it's a nice touch to have a frosty mug. Another bad thing, they came out and cleaned the tables with Meyer's spray cleaner which is a really good, safe, and good-for-the-environment product, however, the scent was just too much in a small space and it greatly overwhelmed the good smell of food. Diluting it a lot could really help with that. People want things to be clean, but chemical smells in a food environment are off-putting. One final bad thing, the food took about an hour to appear. There had been a table of 7 who had their food when we came in, and then another table of 7 had ordered before us, but even after they had their food, our food still took a super long time to come out. No one really checked on us or told us what was going on, but after I flagged down the friendly waitress to order another beer, she brought out 2 beers and comped them to us. We realize that good food takes time, and we also realize that it's hard for small restaurants to accommodate large parties, but it was way too long to wait to get our food.
On an odd note, while we were there, all of the food that came out for the party of 7 went directly to a guy with a laptop and a camera, who turned on a large light and photographed the food, I'm guessing for marketing purposes. I know that this needs to happen, but maybe it shouldn't happen on a busy Saturday night. I was concerned that my food was going to go to the photographer and be handled and breathed on by him before making its way to my table. I'm sure this was a one-time thing, but it felt weird to me.
Overall, I really think that this restaurant is trying to do a good thing. I love restaurants that feature vegetarian and vegan dishes, that are focusing on fresh, local, organic ingredients. The food was really awesome, the staff was great, and the restaurant was beautiful with a good feel to it. My biggest problem with it was the length of time to get our food, with minor problems being some less-than-cold beer and the chemical spray cleaner. I'm sure we'll go back to Pearl of the Ocean for a another good meal, and I really can recommend it, all in all. -
Review from Jennie M.
Mountain View, CA
1/21/2011
I was in Santa Cruz to visit my favorite tea shop (Chaikhana, review coming next). Dawn from Chaikhana recommended this place so we went.
Have you ever dreamed about your next meal at a restaurant while still eating your current one? Heck, have you ever dreamed about the next meal while just perusing menu?
Now, I'm an omnivore, but I like veggies and fruit, too. Everything on this menu sounded so amazing and new and different that I was bummed I couldn't order one of everything that first visit there.
I know it's just something "simple, but the dahl was fantastic. I never thought of putting coconut milk into a lentil soup, but it was wonderful and I've already tried to mimic it at home with decent success.
We loved everything we had and we already have another trip planned to Santa Cruz to eat there again (one week after our original visit). -
Review from Mike N.
Santa Cruz, CA
6/15/2011
Pearl of he Ocean is one of my favorite restaurants in Santa Cruz. The food (I got the eggplant moju and spiced chickpeas) is delectable and the wait staff is super nice. The food is on the expensive side, but it is well worth it. There were 3 of us at dinner and we shared two combo-type meals and an appetizer. I can't wait to go back again!
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Review from Jenn G.
10/31/2010
With a dearth of ethnic food options where I live, I wanted to try this Sri Lankan restaurant on a recent trip to Santa Cruz. I was not disappointed. The food was flavorful and fresh, and having never had jackfruit before, I thoroughly enjoyed my entree. The BF was similarly happy with his dish, a mushroom curry, and the sides included vegetables you don't typically see, like kale.
Service was very good for our mid-week visit, and it's definitely a place we'll return to if we're ever near Santa Cruz again. -
Review from Vatsa S.
Foster City, CA
7/28/2011
I would say 3.5 stars...better than 3 stars
Good tasting dishes. We were 4 of us and ordered almost all but 3 entrees from the menu. Potato is spicy, mushroom soya was tasty, garbanzo & mixed veggies were nice, brocolli tofu& cauliflower & eggplant were OK. We also had good fruit juices (Belli and Devul Kiri)
rarely found here in US.
Simple ambiance with 2-3 tables outside. Friendly owner. -
Review from Kathryn E.
Oakland, CA
9/21/2010 1 Check-in Here
Wow, make sure you get a reservation beforehand, but it's worth it. We got there just in the nick of time to grab a table on the front patio, but this place is small, and we saw several disappointed faces walk back to their cars after they were told they'd need to wait for a bit. Others stared at us like hungry vultures waiting to descend on our table as we ate. As a quick public service announcement, I propose that when you dine at a place like this, respect the people waiting for a table and take
Being from out of town, we saw a 4.5 star rating and felt pretty confident that Santa Cruz Yelpers wouldn't lead us astray. It was a good leap of faith on our parts, because everything about our dinner was fantastic. You should definitely order their homemade chai, though, if you're getting something spicy for dinner, make sure you ask for a side or yogurt or something along those lines, unless you're into the hot on hot feeling.
The entrees sound like an absolute food pile on paper, what with the entree plus a choice of 2 "main dishes," and rice and one other side, but they are actually nicely-portioned so that everything fits on one plate. I'm not saying you can't go home with a doggy bag - I did - but it's not a Denny's sized spread, if you catch my drift (and that's a good thing!).
The desserts looked promising, but with a frozen yogurt shop next door, we opted for that instead. This is definitely a place I'd venture back to next time I'm in Santa Cruz. -
Review from Ima T.
Livingston, TX
11/11/2010
We went for lunch. There were two tables waiting for their check when we went in. There were many tables empty and not cleared, so we seated ourselves at one. Ayoma Wilen, the new owner (see the web site) was waiting tables and her mom was in the kitchen. She was busy chatting with one of the tables and didn't approach our table for 15 minutes. We cleared our table while we waited, but she didn't even wipe the table down! She was busy chatting when our food came out of the kitchen, so it sat in the window for a while and was cold by the time she served it. The portions were small, less than half of the web site images or the images shown here.
If you want to be ripped off for a "Sri Lankan" meal, this is the place. We will never be back. -
Review from Derek M.
San Jose, CA
9/21/2010 4 Check-ins Here
A great night all around.
There were four of us and we came on a busy Friday night, but we were seated right away. We were greeted by a very friendly server whom throughout the whole evening tried very hard to make sure we were taken care of and with who we even had a few good laughs with.
At one point, the owner walked over, greeted us and chatted with us for a few minutes. This kind of attention really was a nice.
The food was delicious. From the naan bread to the main course, everything tasted great. Be warned, if your a spicy wimp like me, some of these dishes may kick your butt!
For a first timer, this was a great Sri lankin experience.
My only real complaint, it's a bit on the pricey side...I am going to have to limit my visits to special occasions...but I will be coming back :) -
Review from Rich H.
Second Mesa, AZ
9/27/2010 2 Check-ins Here
Summary based on 1 lunch, trying out many of the available dishes:
--good, authentic Sri Lankan food, perhaps not as good as the predecessor, Sri, but good nonetheless
--friendly service
--ok prices for what you get
--easy parking
I'm familiar with Sri Lankan food, which is hard to find in the US. This place is about as good as one could expect to find. Service is fine and typical. As someone else suggested, don't expect a fast food experience and you'll be ok. -
Review from Eric W.
San Francisco, CA
5/31/2010
My girlfriend and I stopped by Pearl of the Ocean due to its great Yelp reviews and it did not disappoint! We had the Tikka Masala and Spicy shrimp and both were excellent. Their house Chai is to die for and the service was fantastic.
It was also the first time I had a restaurant owner come up to me and tell us her dream to open a Sri Lankan restaurant in San Francisco one day. With food/service this good combined with her passion, I have no doubt she will make it happen! -
Review from Lanie L.
5/27/2010
Ditto all the other reviews: great vegetarian and vegan options as well as something for meat eaters.
this is the places that you'd want to take someone to a nice sit down dinner with a glowing ambience, candles, and without all the hustle and bustle of the downtown scene or college kids running everywhere. yet, still casual enough to bring all your family and friends, and younger ones.
It is more pricey, so I recommend sharing dishes and eating it family styled.
I ordered for both me and my accompaniment the triple mushroom dish with the sides of spicy potatoes and curried vegetables. for appetizers we had the vegetable rolls. (fried, not wrapped).
The rolls were forgettable, the fried outside being the only thing that had much taste. and at $8 for 4 rolls, it wasn't worth ordering again in the future.
However, the main dish is what made the night. We both scarfed down the mushrooms and all the sides that came with it. I ended up having to finish the potatoes because my significant other couldn't eat them without crying about the amount of spice and downing a glass of water (it was spicy, but delicious!) spice fans: you'll love it!
we wish the dish could've contained more food. we felt like we were able to eat more if we ordered more, but we didn't want to spend more than $30 for 2 people, so we settled for what we had. if you're looking for portions you can take home, don't expect it here.
